5 Things You Missed at Last Night's Selectmen Meeting

Did you miss Monday night's Board of Selectmen meeting? Here are five things you missed.

1. Bob Joyce expressed concerns about . During open session, Joyce, who serves on the Planning Board, said he "took exception" to the notion that because debt from the sewer project is dwindling "(the town) should replace it with new debt (for a fire station) that isn't approved by voters." Joyce suggested putting a non-binding vote on the ballot this spring about the fire station. "This weekend I was door to door getting signatures and people are pretty upset about the way things are being run and I think we have an opportunity here to be very transparent and let the voters decide what they want to do," he said. Selectman Chairman George Dixon said a non-binding vote on the ballot is still an option. "We’re waiting for numbers and costs like everyone else is," he said. Permanent Building Committee Chairman Pat Maloney will present a plan for a new center fire station at the next selectmen meeting on Feb. 27.

2. Landscaping plan forand the . As the Center Town Hall's construction is set to finish in June, town officials are looking at a landscape proposal for the Center Town Hall and the Town Common. One proposal would involve planting more trees in the center of town but also adding fencing along certain parts of the common, especially to discourage jay walking from Center Town Hall to the common. Town Manager Paul Cohen said there is no crosswalk from the Center Town Hall to the Common but many people cross North Road in that area anyway, causing traffic concerns. The Permanent Building Committee is still discussing the fencing issue with town officials and plans have not been solidified.

3. Subsidized housing report. The state is reporting that Chelmsford has 7.2% affordable housing, or 990 units of 13,741 homes.

4. Golden Cove Road truck exclusion. Selectmen agreed to officially exclude trucks more than 2 1/2 tons from Golden Cove Road, despite official signs in the area excluding trucks for more than 20 years. Town Manager Paul Cohen said a local constituent of Rep. Cory Atkins told her the signs in the area were confusing. Atkins investigated the matter with the state, who had no official record of the truck prohibition. Cohen said the signs have been posted since 1990. Selectmen voted the official truck route Wilson Street to Chelmsford Street, instead of Golden Cove Road.

5. Valentine's Day. Selectmen Jon Kurland and George Dixon publicly wished their wives a Happy Valentine's Day. Dixon has been married for more than 40 years and Kurland has been married for more than 30.